Trophy giant killing makes up for early FA Cup exit, says Whitstable chief

WHITSTABLE TOWN chairman Mr Tony Rouse believes yesterday’s giant killing act on Kingstonian can only kick-start the club’s disappointing start to their season, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Oystermen climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over fellow strugglers Corinthian-Casuals last week - but saved their best ever result in the preliminary round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy yesterday.

Mr Rouse was “thrilled to bits” with his club’s performance during their 3-2 win over a Kingstonian side that’s unbeaten at the top of the Ryman League Division One South table.

Whitstable Town manager Marc Seager warned the Surrey giants that his side were going to Kingsmeadow to cause a major Cup shock. However, not many, even within the club, believed they could.

“If I’m totally honest, one of my committee said he couldn’t make the game and he thought we’d get the lucky goal in five - it was a nice surprise,” Mr Rouse told www.kentishfootball.co.uk this afternoon.

Despite the Kent side taking a seventh minute lead through Dan Whisker, Kingstonian turned on the style and went in at the half-time break with a 2-1 lead.

Whitstable officials, however, feared the worst, but inside the away dressing room, it was a different story as Seager rallied his troops to bounce back and produce a fine giant killing to book a place in the first qualifying round and a home game against British Gas Business Premier League side Brackley Town on 18^th October.

“Kingstonian raised their game and looked the quality side they are,” reflected Mr Rouse. “When we went 2-1 down at the break they should have been four or five one (in front).

“They ripped us to bits, they had some great chances that they didn’t put away.

“In their committee room one of my committee men said what is it like in the Kingstonian dressing room at the moment?

“I said they’re only 2-1 up and they’ve played us off the park. They thought the game’s won and it might be in our favour if we nick a goal early doors.

“Blow me - within three minutes we’re level. Ian Pulman had come on for Dave Cory and a real tenacious run at goal was brought down and lobbed the keeper when he was down on the floor - a great goal, our players went nuts, silenced the crowd who taunted us throughout with good humoured banter.

“Then ten minutes later Ian Pulman wins a deserved penalty. There were no arguments from anyone and young Jack Tanner stepped up to take the penalty, ex Dover player and product of our youth team, struck it wonderfully well but the keeper pulled off a fantastic save but as he went to ground the ball came loose and Jake Gess scored his fifth goal of the season.

“Then quite honestly for the remaining 15-20 minutes of the game it was quite literally the seize of the Alamo. “

With £2,000 of FA prize money making it‘s way to The Belmont, results like yesterday’s are welcomed by the chairman.

He said: “For a club like us, cup runs are vital and part of the income. That’s why we were so disappointed to go out of the FA Cup early doors.

“The cup win was on the back of a very good win away to Corinthian-Casuals on Tuesday night. Although the scoreline says 2-1, it should have been three or four nil. They got a soft penalty, they hardly got a shot on goal.”

With only Crowborough Athletic and Corinthian-Casuals below them in the Ryman League Division One South table, Mr Rouse has challenged the team to replicate yesterday’s feat at table-toppers Kingstonian when they travel to Metropolitan Police next Saturday, to climb up the table.

“Our aim is to finish better than last year that’s our sole ambition,” said Mr Rouse. “We want to stay in the Ryman League.

“We want to progress each year. We’re not in the situation to say we’ve got a five-year plan. We just want to establish ourselves as a Ryman League club and see where we go.

“Hopefully it’s not going to take 120 years to achieve our next promotion when we got out of the Kent League.

“The clubs been going since 1886 and never got promoted. When we won the Kent League and promoted, that’s the first time we’ve ever got promoted.”

Visit Whitstable Town’s website: www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk